TODAY’S VERSE
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is hard to accept God’s love. We are taught from a young child to do good. If we do good, if we get good grades, make sports teams we will be liked by people. It sets us up to believe that love is “earned,” not given freely. Worst, some learn that love can be taken away. Is it a wonder that the love of God gets lost in the translation? In his book “The Deeper Journey”, author M. Robert Mulholland Jr. writes, “We fear that we might not be valued. If our false self’s identity is rooted in our performance, then our value must necessarily be rooted in how well we perform. Consequently, our false self attempts to perfect our performance, at least in our own estimation.” Is this not where fear and anger rise up amongst us? We are afraid that someone else’s success will rob us of value. Does not anger rise up inside us when we find something getting in the way of what we think we must have or do in order to be appreciated and loved? Instead, God has told us Himself that He has loved us with an everlasting and unfailing love. Everlasting in that it never ends. It is unquenchable, unconditional, and undeserving. It is unfailing because nothing will stop it from reaching its objective. We are the object of God’s love and nothing will stand in the way of Him expressing that love to us. So today, rejoice in the love that God has for you. Let the joy of His undying love for you cast away all of your fear and anger.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You that I am valued and loved. Thank You that I do not have to earn it. Help me today to really get my thoughts around Your unconditional love for me. it.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S VERSE
“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. – And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Romans 8:17, 30-31

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I don’t think we really understand who we are in Christ. If we did, the church would be a more powerful force in the world. Instead, we go around blinded to our true inheritance. We are like a child who, separated at birth from its father, the King, grows up never realizing the birthright that was his. Never accepts the reality that they are the child of a King. In his book When Heaven Invades Earth, Bill Johnson drives this point home. He writes, “At what point do we start thinking of our worth through His eyes? If it is true that the value of something is measured by what someone else will pay, then we need to rethink our worth. – Jesus paid the ultimate price to make it possible for us to have a change in our identity. – Doesn’t it honor Him more when His children no longer see themselves only as sinners saved by grace, but now heirs of God?” Today, let that fact sink in. You are God’s child. You are a co-heir with Christ in our Heavenly Kingdom. If God is for you, what in this world could possibly be significant enough to be against you?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I have judged myself by so many false standards. I have seen myself with blurry vision. I have looked in a stained mirror never seeing what You see. Today, help me believe. Help me really understand that I am Your child, a joint heir with Christ. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Psalms 135 is full of praise for our Lord. The Psalmist lists many attributes of God that are praise worthy and speaks of His mighty acts. He has taken time to notice, to appreciate to and to remember the good things that he knows about God. And that made the difference. He knew. He knew the greatness of the Lord. The word “know” is more than intellectual knowledge, it is experiential. He witnessed God in action, he became acquainted with His ways, he spent time in His presence, he had personal knowledge of God. So much so he could write with confidence that he knew the greatness of the Lord. Today decide to change your focus. Change from knowing about the greatness of the Lord to knowing it. Then you too will be praising Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank You for all that I know about You. But today I want more. I want to know You. I want to know Your greatness. Help me I pray. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S VERSE
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
Romans 8:12 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How often we feel trapped. We try and try and still give in to sinful desires. Cravings, habits, negative behavior, painful emotions have us running in circles. And then Paul comes and says we don’t have any obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. What a prospect, but how? He gives the secret when he writes, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” If you know Christ you have the Spirit of God in you. Today ask the Holy Spirit to control your mind.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Holy Spirit, control my mind today and help me think and do those things that please You.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S VERSE
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:24-25 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
A part of our human condition is our propensity toward sin. Paul shared that this fight between good and evil made him miserable. He explains, “The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” How true is that? Cravings, habits, emotional stress can lead to all kinds of sin. Fear, worry, insecurity creates an atmosphere where misbehavior grows. Anger, ignorance, prejudice, hatred can lead us into relational strive and discord. Paul asked the right question, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” More importantly, he gave the right answer when he wrote, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” The truth is we are powerless to handle our sinful nature by ourself. We need to turn our will and life over to Christ. He came to forgive us and set us free.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, my sin has me baffled. I need You to free me from this bondage of sin in my life. Come Jesus, forgive me and help me live the life You have called me to.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S VERSE
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
Romans 5:20 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Do we really understand how abundant God’s grace is toward us? It goes counter to what we consider fair and reasonable. How many of us would keep forgiving someone who offends us over and over? How many of us would put up with someone’s continual rudeness, inconsideration and disrespect? Seriously, if a person slaps us on the cheek, would we really turn the other one? Would we do it over and over again? And yet, God created us, knowing that we are human with the propensity toward sin. He gave us the law to show us how bad we really are. But he also gave it to show us how matchless His grace and love is. Today, believe! Believe in His everlasting, never failing, incomprehensible, unconditional love for you. Then multiply it by a million times. Only then will you begin to see how abundant His grace toward you really is.

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt

TODAY’S VERSE
But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’
Luke 15:22-24 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is my favorite parable. I never tire of the son returning home to be taken back by his father. It is a gospel favorite illustrating the love of God and His grace, mercy and forgiveness toward us. We often interpret it from the perspective of guilt and innocence. However, there is another perspective that is just as important. For many people in the world this story is about honor and shame. The son demanded his share of the inheritance and brought shame to both himself and his father. However, when the son comes back, the father did not just embrace him, according to today’s verse, he restored his son’s honor. The robe, ring and sandals all signified his restoration. Today, rejoice for God doesn’t just forgive you, He is the shame bearer. He has taken all your shame and has given you a place of honor as His child.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, thank You for bearing all my shame. Thank You for giving me a place of honor at Your table. I am Your child and am forever grateful.
AMEN

We are doing a new devotional ministry you may be interested in. We already do MOMENT IN THE WORD a daily devotional.Now we are going on Twitter featuring a daily Personalized Bible Affirmation taken from our own Personalized Bible Paraphrase. Each day you will find the verses inspirational and written in a way that helps you personally pray them. Go to twitter and follow us @ronovitt